Task force to ensure prompt aid to victims of domestic violence

Domestic violence victims in Bourbon County will soon find help more accessible.

In an attempt to move forward on a Bourbon County Police Response Advocacy (PRA) Program, employees of the Crisis Resource Center of Southeast Kansas are organizing a PRA Task Force.

The first task force meeting was conducted at 12 p.m. on Feb. 20 in a courtroom at the Bourbon County Courthouse. The original intent was to conduct the meeting in the office of Bourbon County District Court Service Officer Pat Jackson. However, local interest in the task force was so high that the office did not provide enough space. Thus, the meeting was moved to the courtroom in order to accommodate everyone in attendance.

According to information on the CRC's Web site, www.crisisresourcecenter.com, the PRA program will offer victims with prompt support from an advocate.

"Police Response Advocacy Program, a program of Crisis Resource Center of Southeast Kansas is a collaborative program. By working closely with local law enforcement, hospitals, other social service agencies and community volunteers we are able to provide domestic or sexual violence victims with immediate assistance, on site at the time of crisis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," the Web site said.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported 18,042 domestic violence incidents in Kansas during 2004. This translates into a domestic violence incident occurring once every 28 minutes and 34 seconds during that time frame in Kansas, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), www.ncadv.org.

The NCADV Web site said that domestic violence is not limited to physical violence. Frequently prior to or at the time of the physical violence, the abuser will also psychologically abuse his or her victim. This abuse, according to the NCADV, can have long lasting effects on the victim.

"While psychological abuse increases the trauma of physical and sexual abuse, a number of studies have demonstrated that psychological abuse independently causes long-term damage to its victims' mental health," the NCADV Web site said. The NCADV defines psychological abuse as abuse that includes:

* Denial of the victim's access to money.

* Harassment of the victim at his or her place of work or school.

* Threats to injure or kill the victim or his or her loved ones.

* Damage to the victim's property.

* Threats of or acts of physically abusing the family pet.

The NCADV cautions that children who have exposure to domestic violence in any form are more likely to experience domestic violence as adults either as victims or abusers.

"Domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse. Studies of children who witness domestic violence show that they are more likely to perpetuate the cycle of violence in their own relationships... Witnessing violence between one's parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next," the NCADV Web site said.

After the PRA program has been launched in Bourbon County, PRAs will be dispatched to the scene of all domestic or sexual violence. According to a written document provided by the CRC, the timing of this dispatch is very important.

"This is a crucial time for the victim and supplies the victims with an opportunity to look at other choices," the CRC written document said.

The goal for the PRA is to help the victim make healthy choices and provide him or her with resources and alternatives to living in an abusive lifestyle.

The PRA task force will be responsible for evaluating the needs in Bourbon County related to domestic and sexual violence. Those who attended the first task force meeting were given an update on the domestic abuse task force that is already in place in Bourbon County. The group discussed the Family Peace Initiative. This program, which will provide counseling for the abusers, was formerly operated through an agency in Girard but is now being offered by the Southeast Kansas Independent Living Center. In other matters, the group discussed needed changes in the current laws regarding the admissibility of 911 calls into a court hearing and also the current laws regarding strangulations. Protection from abuse orders and no contact orders were also discussed at the meeting.

The next PRA Task Force meeting has been scheduled for 12 p.m., on March 19. Due to the overwhelming interest of local residents, the meeting will be conducted in Bourbon County Commissioner's office.

For question regarding the PRA Task Force, contact Sharon Carpino at the CRC (800) 231-8692.